1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Wedding Band. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
The play is set in Summer of 1918 in South Carolina. The nation is on the heels of the first world war and be wrecked by Spanish Influenza. Julia, a black women, has just relocated with her white lover, Herman, and the play tells of the new relationship Julia has with her new neighbors and the townspeople and how this effects her relationship. 2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play? NOTE: Arguments might be made for several different points where stasis is broken. Be prepared to defend your point of view, if different from other students.
Herman getting deathly sick with Spanish Influenza launches the play into full speed because Julia has to face the possibility of his death and the events unfold from there. 3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The race relations of the time period set the couple apart rt as they cannot legally get married at this time. Additionally, the couples relocation brings them to a new environment with different people. However, it is highlighted by the Spanish Influenza epidemic because this specific event brings about the events of the play. 4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Personally, I was wondering whether this couple could truly survive in this time period because it was such a hostile environment for them? However, as the play progressed the question morphed into whether Herman was going to survive and whether he and Julia were going to be able to get a chance to prosper? Additonally, the audience has to speculate whether they will ever be accepted by both blacks and whites? 5. Use Julia to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken by that character. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual or individuals, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles in the play.
All Julia truly desired was to be happy with Herman. They both had been dealing with conflicts with other individuals and society as their relationship was widely not accepted and illegal during this time of segregation. Even the other blacks in the community were not supportive of the relationship and people such as the door man had the wrong impression of her. Hoover, Julia has to face the conflict of Herman's illness and how this will effect her life and eventually kill him. 6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Wedding Band
The first theatrical moment in the play is the first scene with lost quarter. In this scene, we are not only introduced to Julia as the main character but, we also reciter information about the other characters and the economic status in which the area is in . The send theatrical moment is Julia and Herman professing their true feelings. The achene is so emotional and it provides a lot of information about their relationship and their struggle. The third theatrical moment is with the two girls playing together. tI provides information that the girls are innocent and were not born racist and hateful. It shows that there is hope for a relationship like Julia and Herman and the girls to survive. 7. Provide at least three examples of images in Wedding Band. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
The Wedding Band- nth wedding band represents something that Julia and Herman can never have both because of the laws of the land as well as because Herman's death This is why it is the title because it is ultimately the center of this love/hate story in black and white.
The quarter- the quarter represents the economic stays of the people living in the area. The fact that such a big fuss would be made concerning the loss of a single quarter shows that the community must do so much with very little and a small quarter can have a huge impact.
The girls playing together- The young girls playing together shows a childhood innocence regardless of race and hope that one day the races will be able to co-exist without judgement, repercussions, or violence. 8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Wedding Band.
Wedding Band discusses the theme that love does not know color because Julia and Herman are able to love each other despite race and the animosity that others have about the races. 9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Wedding Band? Perhaps you might argue for several different kinds of family in this particular play. What do you think?
I think that Wedding Band redefines family for the time period that it was written. I shows that race does not define family and Julia and Herman were able to overcome it to make their own family in such hard times.
The play is set in Summer of 1918 in South Carolina. The nation is on the heels of the first world war and be wrecked by Spanish Influenza. Julia, a black women, has just relocated with her white lover, Herman, and the play tells of the new relationship Julia has with her new neighbors and the townspeople and how this effects her relationship.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play? NOTE: Arguments might be made for several different points where stasis is broken. Be prepared to defend your point of view, if different from other students.
Herman getting deathly sick with Spanish Influenza launches the play into full speed because Julia has to face the possibility of his death and the events unfold from there.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The race relations of the time period set the couple apart rt as they cannot legally get married at this time. Additionally, the couples relocation brings them to a new environment with different people. However, it is highlighted by the Spanish Influenza epidemic because this specific event brings about the events of the play.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Personally, I was wondering whether this couple could truly survive in this time period because it was such a hostile environment for them? However, as the play progressed the question morphed into whether Herman was going to survive and whether he and Julia were going to be able to get a chance to prosper? Additonally, the audience has to speculate whether they will ever be accepted by both blacks and whites?
5. Use Julia to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken by that character. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual or individuals, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles in the play.
All Julia truly desired was to be happy with Herman. They both had been dealing with conflicts with other individuals and society as their relationship was widely not accepted and illegal during this time of segregation. Even the other blacks in the community were not supportive of the relationship and people such as the door man had the wrong impression of her. Hoover, Julia has to face the conflict of Herman's illness and how this will effect her life and eventually kill him.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Wedding Band
The first theatrical moment in the play is the first scene with lost quarter. In this scene, we are not only introduced to Julia as the main character but, we also reciter information about the other characters and the economic status in which the area is in . The send theatrical moment is Julia and Herman professing their true feelings. The achene is so emotional and it provides a lot of information about their relationship and their struggle. The third theatrical moment is with the two girls playing together. tI provides information that the girls are innocent and were not born racist and hateful. It shows that there is hope for a relationship like Julia and Herman and the girls to survive.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Wedding Band. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
The Wedding Band- nth wedding band represents something that Julia and Herman can never have both because of the laws of the land as well as because Herman's death This is why it is the title because it is ultimately the center of this love/hate story in black and white.
The quarter- the quarter represents the economic stays of the people living in the area. The fact that such a big fuss would be made concerning the loss of a single quarter shows that the community must do so much with very little and a small quarter can have a huge impact.
The girls playing together- The young girls playing together shows a childhood innocence regardless of race and hope that one day the races will be able to co-exist without judgement, repercussions, or violence.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Wedding Band.
Wedding Band discusses the theme that love does not know color because Julia and Herman are able to love each other despite race and the animosity that others have about the races.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Wedding Band? Perhaps you might argue for several different kinds of family in this particular play. What do you think?
I think that Wedding Band redefines family for the time period that it was written. I shows that race does not define family and Julia and Herman were able to overcome it to make their own family in such hard times.